I remember last year I could take toll way to get to suburbs just to get 3.0 surges, and the last Friday before Xmas was surging 4.0 all night, so I just take freeway back to city to get 4.0 again and again.
But how could it be possible these days? Drive all the way back to get 1.8 surge in cbd?

 

Because it was Christmas party month... High surges are normal.

You need to know how to position. Look at the surge patterns. Where is the demand? Don't just keep getting fixated on the bloody CBD or you'll become Sara's obedient ant (which you already are). Late night at bars, if you know people want to grab Ubers to get home, why pick them up at base rates when the demand will shoot up over time? Once you see CBD/Chapel St at 5 min to nearest car on the pax app, why would you go online?

Drive through tollways to pickup pings? That's another level altogether...

 

You need to use destination filter towards city if you run out from filters call pax
If you get surge 2.o or greater you better off driving empty offline to area which will surge again instead to be stuck driving on base rate in suburbs
You need to know where and when to predict surge
You need Uber lesson from Tom

13 Tips for Drivers to Maximise Earnings
Firstly, and most importantly, it is essential to remember that you are running your own small business. You are not working for Uber - your interests and their interests are not necessarily aligned. There are systemic failures within the Uber model that can significantly affect your ability to earn; it is not your responsibility to accept these failures and service Uber's customers at a loss.

1. Set your limit for pick-up distance and don't go beyond it. If it's surging, multiply your maximum by the surge factor. (you get paid only $1.32 base fare after Uber fee and GST paid which suppose to cover your time and dead km to pick up destination- recommending outer suburbs max ping 7 min, CBD peak traffic hours max 2 min, CBD non-peak traffic 5 min, Mel central surroundings peak traffic hours max 3 min.Mel central surroundings nonpeak traffic hours max 5 min) Example 7 min ping 5km driven to pick up 5 min to wait for pax for min fare after Uber fees & ex GST net pay $4.09 minus car expenses for 15 min of your time and 8 km on your odometer
2. Set your own price. If you don't feel it is worth doing jobs for the base rate, then don't take them. If everyone does this, the surge will come in and set the market rate.
3. Don't rely on the heat map for surge information, 3rd party surge apps are great, but also check on the ping screen and the rider info screen once you've accepted the job.( Recommending Surge chaser from app store use code ZMFBJ01 for free trail)
4. Don't worry about acceptance rates. Contractually you are free to take jobs as you see fit.
5. "Confirm You've Arrived" 30-60 seconds before you actually do, this way the rider will be alerted and will often be waiting for you outside.( feature available on drivers app - will ask you if u are sure arrived at destination )
6. Note your time of arrival and wait only the required 5 minutes before you cancel and go - your time is valuable.
7. At busy times when there is sustained surge in particular areas, once you have dropped a rider off, go offline and head back to the busy spot, don't reduce your income by getting stuck doing local trips at the base rate.
8. If when you return to a busy spot that's been surging consistently all night, the surge drops off, park up and go offline for a few minutes until it comes back on - Don't drive people around at 3am for base rates.
9. When you get a ping in a difficult area to pick up in, call the customer and tell them where to meet you. If they don't answer after 2 calls, cancel the job. Don't waste your time trying to find riders who don't know where they are.
10. If it's not worth your while going through a drive through (eg. McDonalds), don't do it. Tell the rider you are happy to drop them there, but not prepared to sit for 10 minutes in the queue - this particularly applies to short trips near the city or late night 'Maccas runs'
11. Avoid traffic hot spots with non-surge trips (after Uber fees and ex GST you get paid $0.21 Per Minute Example 1okm 50 min trip after Uber fee and ex GST net gross = $18.62 - surge 1.5 and above trips traffic is good for your earnings)
12. Trip request before you finish your current trip . Always before you finish your trip check with your pax app if the area is surging The solution is when it's not surging ,just stop accepting new requests while you on a trip. Before drop off if it is surging turn it on.This will help you to get more surge trips and help other fellow drivers as well !
13. Sara's weekly email - this week in Melbourne major events in your city. if you are in the area or driving just before event finishes go offline and park and wait for the surge to hit min 1.5 go online wait for fare if surge starts to drop go offline.

 

Really helpful earned more tonight

 

How do u get a surge trip back?

Stay offline if u r within 5 km radius around cbd, that's where u r most likely to cream surge, pax either stranded or afford to pay.

Play as u want outside of that circle as, cheapskates thin it out and wait or on train and school runs.

 

Pax don't mind paying $20 for short trips.